CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kerry was growing increasingly impatient with developments. Control could slip through his fingers if he was not careful. He must be strong, consolidate his position among the Drongs and force his prisoners to submit. The key words lingered in his thoughts. Control. Strong. Consolidate. Force. They were familiar labels to him as he ran through them again.
Control meant power, the authority to make certain others did as they were told with the least possibly resistance. It meant satisfaction in watching them perform those duties while he sat back and directed instructions at random. It also means he could order punishment or even carry it out himself and gloat at the fear he saw in their faces.
Strength was necessary to hold on to that control, to maintain the position of superiority. He had in the beginning used his strength to take over the role of Leader of the Drongs by mastering his opponents in combat. He was strong, determined and cunning and by combining all three he had conquered a number of aspirants to the position. Since then he had grown no weaker. But he had developed new levels of determination and his deviousness was to be envied by those of a like mind. There was not another person in the base who could match him any of the spheres.
Over time he had definitely consolidated his leadership and while there may have been ash thoughts of rebellion among a few it did not grow into anything more threatening that a faint wish. On the single occasion when a young Drong had expressed dissatisfaction and had spoken of support to curb excesses, force had been brought into play and the hoped-for united reaction had rapidly dwindles. The presumptuous Drong paid for his outspokenness with a thrashing that ensured peace in the camp ever since.
Until recently that was. The feeling of agitation had started with the capture of the Leaf Child Venki. It had been a real coup for Kerry when he found the Leafie, quite by accident, pacing along the border of the Dead Place completely alone. It was as if he had been sent in answer to a dream.
Previously all contact with the Leaf Children had been on their own territory in the forest where they had the advantage of known ground and numbers. There had been hard fought battles that resulted in many scratches, black eyes and bruises. But never a prisoner taken. Now here was a Leaf Child, the leader himself no less, wandering around on his own well away from the protection of his supporters. Kerry could not believe it. Indeed his first thought was that it was a trick to draw out the Drongs. An ambush would be sprung and prisoners taken. But a search of the jungle around the Leafie had failed to locate anything suspicious. Still Kerry waited and finally the Leafie ceased his pacing and walked into the Dead Place. Incredibly he walked straight to the sunken region with its fake boulders. With the heat and sun beating down he sat and actually leaned against one of the boulders and fell asleep. It was all too easy. The Drong trap was sprung and he had his first very important prisoner.
With the Leafie under a heavy guard, and none the wise as to exactly where he was other than in captivity at the pleasure of his arch enemies, Kerry was hailed as a hero almost. It was as though he had single handedly gone out into the desert and fought a David and Goliath duel, bringing back the giant over his shoulder. He revelled in the praise naturally taking full credit.
Of course the prison was far from model from the very outset, but that caused Kerry little concern. He merely clipped him around the ears a few times and tied him up. This too seemed to impress his followers and he strutted about the network with his chest to bursting point. However the euphoria did not last long. The Leafie continued to speak out against him personally. He seemed to take great care not to make any derogatory remarks about any of the other Drongs, but persistently criticised the Leader’s attitude, manner and whole philosophy of existence and relationship with the Leaf Children.
It was not too long before Kerry senses that the other Drongs were listening to what the Leafie was saying. They somehow found reasons to pass by him or to work near where he was being held. None spoke to him and obeyed the instruction he had given. Nevertheless there was an air of potential disobedience, so Kerry had taken added precautions. The Leafie was gagged at all times except when he was permitted to eat. But that too showed signs of failure. Once his gag was removed Venki would begin his incessant banter about the foolhardiness of the Drong lifestyle, mixed with even more damaging remarks about him personally.
There was only one solution. The Leafie would have to be kept entirely separate form the rest of the group. Hence his incarceration in the cave remote from the main chamber. He was tied hand and foot and chained to the wall. Later his bonds were removed but the chains remained and only a chosen few soldiers were allowed to go near him, and then only when necessary. His criticism continued but its effect was somewhat lessened, though the very fact that he had to be isolated did little to help the situation. Since that time, long ago, the uneasy feeling in the pit of Kerry’s stomach had continued to gnaw away at him.
And now there was the threat that the Drong’s secret base had been discovered. Or so he had been led to believe. He was still not sure despite the other two Leaf Children’s reference to the rocks and the tree. It could have been a bluff. If it was it had been effective as he had reacted far too quickly and even mentioned the Keepers. That was most unwise. Reluctantly he admitted he had been outwitted.
The first precaution was to ensure the rocks above were securely in place and their spring mechanisms locked. The tree also would have to be held below ground. One of the soldiers had been despatched to make sure of both, but he had not yet returned and that too bothered the Leader. An hour had passed and it should not have taken that long.
Again he cursed: “Where the devil is he?”
He was in the main chamber sitting on his stone seat while groups of Drong children sat around the sides talking quietly among themselves. They had nothing to do as they were all on alert after Kerry had come charging into the cavern from talking with the two prisoners. He had marched in demanding to know what everyone was doing and immediately critical of every answer. Having done the rounds he went straight to his seat and remained there. And he had been in the same position for almost an hour.
As he was casting these points around in his mind into the chamber rushed two of the Drongs who had fought with the Leaf Children not long before. Kerry sprang to his feet.
“They’re here,” one of the Drongs panted. “They’re here. In the base.” He and his comrade stood bent over, their hands on their knees and gasped for breath. The one who spoke dropped to one knee and hung his head gulping for air. They had run as fast as they could all the way from the cave beneath the museum.
“Who’s here?” shouted Kerry from the platform where he stood erect, fists clenched at his sides.
The kneeling Drong raised his head and drew in a deep breath. As he exhaled he wheezed: “Leafies. Leafies have broken in.” The sentence ended in a coughing spasm which wracked his body and forced him onto his other knee.
Kerry ran to the two soldiers and pointing to the other one he demanded: “You. Tell me what happened. Where are they? How many?”
“They were in the museum,” he stammered. “About ten of them. They had caught Donny and were about to come down the steps when we surprised them.”
“How did they find the panel?” asked Kerry..
“Donny showed them.”
“He what?” Kerry was livid with rage and looked over the heads of the two soldiers behind them. “Where is he?”
“They’ve got him,” said the soldier. “We freed him. Then they caught him again.” He sucked in more air and went on. “We were patrolling. It was so sudden. There were about the of them and only four of us. We did our best.”
Kerry’s voice was low. “Where are the rest? What happened to the other two?”
“We left them back there to hold them. To try to delay them while we ran here for help.”
Kerry spun around and called to the Drongs who were now looking on anxiously. “You four groups. Come with me. Come on. We’re going to catch those Leafies and teach them a lesson they’ll never forget.”
The soldier who had collapsed to his knees suddenly jumped up. “Where is he? The kid. What’s happened to him?” And he ran back to the tunnel he had come from. He was out of sigh only a few seconds before reappearing pulling young Jordon along by the scruff of the neck.
“We dot one,” he said.
“Of great,” said Kerry. “You got one alright. A midget. What a prize.” He dismissed him with a wave of the hand and instructed two soldiers to hold the boy in the chamber until he and his posse returned.
As they left Kerry turned back to the group remaining. “Stay on your guard. Keep a good watch out.” Then: “And be more careful with the dwarf than these two were with the other Leafies. Do not let him get away.” With that he trotted into the tunnel followed by the others holding bows at the ready.
His intention was to hasten as quickly as possible to the cave where the two Drong soldiers had remained. If all had gone well the Leafies would still be there and they would overpower them with superior numbers. After that he would b ring them back and hold them, or maybe shortly use them as hostage to bargain with the Leafies back in the forest. It was an idea he had been toying with since capturing Gabrysia. He would keep a few of them, but trade the rest. Maybe. For the moment it all depended on the next half hour or so.
The tunnel leading to the cave was a long winding one that zigzagged back and forth without any passages leading off it. It was wide, high and had paintings at infrequent intervals on the walls. Like those in the main chamber the colours had pales and the outlines were indistinct, but it was still possible to identify the subjects of the drawings. Once again they were mainly animals, reptiles and birds though there were also humans depicted throwing sticks and firing arrows. But unlike better known primitive cave paintings those in the underground Drong base never showed the human as being dominant. While he was always pictured free the animals and other creatures were never shown being killed or captured. Rather, it was they who with their piercing gazes and proud poses seemed somehow superior.
Kerry and his followers were not concerned with the paintings though as they proceeded through the tunnel. To be honest they had never remarked on this aspect of the adornments on the walls. They had either not noticed it, or if they did, considered it insignificant. They apparently went about their tasks with a single mindedness that excluded deeper contemplation of their artistic surroundings.
For ten minutes they jogged along the passageway at an easy gait. The Leader might not have been the most intelligent of persons but he know from experience the best way to enter a battle was fresh and not exhausted. He could have run faster and covered the distance much more quickly, but the other Drongs were not as fit as he was and they would have arrived in a condition no better than the two soldiers who had come to warn them. And there was no point in that. Their superior numbers would be no advantage then. While he was excited at the prospect of a confrontation and additional captives he curbed his instinctive desire to pick up the pace.
Finally five minutes from the end of the runnel they across one of the Drongs walking slowly towards them head bowed. As soon as he saw them he broke into a sprint and began calling out: “They’ve gone. Quickly. Come on.”
Without stopping Kerry raced passed the soldier leaving the others trailing behind. Some actually slowed to ask the soldier questions but a sharp order from ahead brought them on again. Soon they all emptied into the cave to find Kerry talking earnestly with the other soldier at the foot of the steps.
“How long ago?” he asked.
“Fifteen minutes most,” said the soldier. “We held them for a while. But then they just walked off down there.” The soldier pointed to his right indicating the tunnel on the opposite side of the cave. Then he added: “We didn’t try to follow because there’s nowhere they can go anyway.”
“How do you know that?” demanded Kerry.
The soldier held his gaze and answered: “I know some of these tunnels end in dark holes. I’ve seen them on patrol. I’ve never been in as you ordered. But I’ve seen them.”
Kerry looked him hard in the eyes and when he was satisfied the soldier was telling the truth he turned to the others. “Alright,” he said. “We’ve got to hurry or we might lose them. Follow, but stay behind and do exactly what I say. And that means only what I say.”
The posse swarmed into the tunnel in a bunch behind the Leader, jostling and puffing and for many with leaden steps and rubbery knees. With their wind broken it was only a few meters before they began to string out. Ahead Kerry neared the fork in the tunnel and he turned to look over his shoulder at the straggling group of Drongs trailing out behind.
“For God’s sake,” he yelled. “Hurry up. Come on. Hurry you lot.”
When he reached the corner he did not slow down but rounded to the left and again shouted back. “Fast. Fast.” He then raced on as fast as he could until he reached the end of the illuminated tunnel. There he stopped and breathing heavily looked about him carefully examining the earth at his feet and then peering into the passage that melted into darkness. He straightened up as the rest arrived panting and holding their sides with both hands, bows hanging uselessly by their sides.
“What happened to them?” asked one of the soldiers.
“They must have gone the other way,” said another.
“They wouldn’t go in there.”
“Would they?”
“Of course not,” said the Drong who had spoken with the Leader in the cave. “Don’t be stupid,” but he shot a glance at Kerry who was again looking into the dark entrance.
Kerry looked back at them. After a pause he said: “They must have taken the other turn. Move. We’ll check it out.”
The others began to return back down the tunnel more slowly than before. Kerry followed them with occasional glances towards the entrance of the dark tunnel. He seemed unsure. Reluctant to leave.
Meanwhile in another part of the underground base Gabrysia and Fallon were standing impatiently in the centre of their cave dungeon. For some time they had been under close guard and they were growing anxious. Since the Drong leader had stormed out threatening dire consequences they had heard nothing and had been confined to their small space to contemplate their possible fate.
At intervals the solider who had propositioned them with the prospect of escape had disappeared for minutes on end only to return more agitated each time. The captives believed he was worried and fearful his Leader would find out his traitorous intention. The last time he had gone he had huddled with his two companions before running off down the passageway. So far he had not come back.
“Something must be going on,” said Fallon.
Gabrysia nodded. “I think something is happening. The guards seem to be pretty worked up.”
“Do you think that mad Kerry is readying some awful punishment for us?”
“He could be but I doubt if that’s the reason for the unease out there.”
“Why? It could be you know. All that running around.”
“No,” said Gabrysia. “Did you see those guards? How they have been acting?”
“Sure. They’re pretty excited. Running around in circles. Getting into huddles.”
“Yes. But they haven’t been looking in our direction at all. I reckon if they were getting anything ready for us they would be looking in our direction. If only out of curiosity to see how we’re reacting.”
“But they haven’t,” agreed Fallon. You’re right. If anything they have ignored us. They are more concerned with something else. What could it be do you think?”
Gabrysia merely shook her head. She had no idea. Indeed, that had been one of the dilemmas facing them since their capture. They had been very good at posing questions or supposing variations of possibilities. But as for answers, that was something else again. Their track record in that respect was hardly enviable.
Her days of captivity raced by her in a flash and her experience was repeatedly punctuated by unanswered queries. It seemed the only constant in a sea of uncertainties. It depressed her and for a brief moment it drained her of hope for the future. Her immediate past crept in and like a foul thick mist it obscured the rays of brightness. Never before had her thoughts been so concentrated on a negative almost to the total exclusion of happiness or at least stability. It was a frightening feeling and though she tried to block it from her mind and introduce positive thoughts the unsettling uncertainty of it all, the veil of hopelessness, refused to go away. It was as if a heavy weight bore down on her shoulders and strong fingers pressed at her temples until a throbbing pulse crept down her body, stiffening joints and tensing muscles.
She flicked a sideways look at Fallon and in the unguarded instant he too showed the telling signs of stress. He was quick to notice the movement but not quick enough to hide his feelings. Gabrysia plainly saw the tension, the toughness in his face. But he then broke into a broad grin and looking directly into her eyes he said: “Well, at least we haven’t been carted off and fed to the lions. So there’s hope for us yet.” Then he looked away but added: “Maybe all the fuss is because Nikko and the others have found their way in and are now on their way here.”
Gabrysia smiled and put a hand gently on his arm. “Fallon, thank you,” she said. “But I think we had better be honest with ourselves and with each other. Even if they have found this place, unless they send for help there are only a few of them. They will be hopelessly outnumbered. The chances of their winning a battle down here are very remote.”
“You never know,” Fallon said. “Nikko is definitely smart and the others are good. Jason is as cunning as a fix and Porky and Josh are strong. Simon is….”
“Fallon. It doesn’t matter how good they are. There must be thirty or forty Drong down here. Even if they are only a quarter as intelligent their numbers made up for the difference easily.”
“But…”
“And on top of that they know the layout of this place, whereas the others will be completely in the dark. It just can’t work. Miracles like that are for books only. They don’t really happen.”
Fallon was very quiet. When he spoke after Gabrysia had finished his voice was soft but strong. “What you say is probably true. You know more things than the rest of us. Certainly more than I do. But I also know that outside our island Torpah is just a bird and magic necklaces exist only in the imagination. Trees like ours with leaves that sing beautiful music are only figments of fertile minds too. But given those things cannot help us now in this situation I know something else. Where there is a firm determination and a will to succeed there is a chance of success.”
Fallon paused and then went on. “I’m scared. You know that. And our position is very tricky to say the least. But we can’t give up hope. Not now. Not later. Never. As soon as do that we have lost and Kerry has won. And not Nikko, not Jason, not Simon, not anyone will be able to save us. Because we will have beaten ourselves.”
There was a long moment of silence when neither Leaf Child spoke. Almost as if in sympathy with the sentiment in the dungeon there was no noise outside either. Times seemed to stand still.
Finally Fallon broke the spell. “I’m sorry,” he said mildly. “I should not have spoken as I did.”
“No,” responded Gabrysia. “You had every right to say what you did. And what’s more Fallon you made good sense. Very good.”
“I forgot for a while there. But I really do think we have to be positive. Or optimistic perhaps.”
“Yes. More importantly though I forgot. Thankfully you remembered.”
Fallon averted his eyes. Even though he may have spoken the right words he still recognised his position and in deference to Gabrysia he did not press the matter any further. Instead he waited for her to make the next move.
However, it was not Gabrysia who made the move. It was the Drong soldier who had been scurrying to and from the cave’s entrance. While the two captives had been talking he had apparently returned to his post and now literally rushed at them and grabbed Gabrysia by the upper arm.
“Now,” he cried. Fallon instinctively broke his grip and was about to follow this with a shove when he was surprised to find himself thrust aside by the soldier with apparent ease. Before he could regain his balance the soldier hissed at him: “Don’t be stupid. We’re going.”
At this point the two other soldiers outside the entrance began beckoning urgently and the Drong ran to them and they exchanged words hurriedly. Then the head soldier ran back to the captives. “We either go now, right this minute, or not at all.” He looked squarely at Gabrysia ignoring Fallon and raised his eyebrows. “Now,” he repeated.
Gabrysia did not hesitate. “Now,” she said and raced to the entrance of the dungeon. There she stopped and called back to Fallon who had not yet moved. “Fallon. Let’s do it. We’ve got nothing to lose.”
Fallon waited a split second and then moved as if jerked by a sprung rope. He grasped the Drong soldier in charge by the elbow and dragged him to Gabrysia’s side. “Which way?” he demanded. “How do we get out of here?”
The Drong shrugged out of Fallon’s grip and again addressed Gabrysia. “It’s a real maze down here and I’m not certain exactly where all the tunnels go. The only sure way out is the way he’s gone with the others. We can’t go that way.”
Gabrysia calmly said: “Where’s he gone and why?”
“Some of your friends have found their way in,” said the Drong. “He’s taken a posse to find them. They don’t stand a chance. There are too many of us.”
Gabrysia and Fallon exchanged a quick knowing look and then Gabrysia said: “OK. But I don’t understand what you say about the maze. Isn’t the network pretty straightforward? Kerry drew us a map which showed the tunnels in a circular layout with interconnecting smaller passageways.”
The Drong snorted. “No way. That’s a lie. It’s very complicated with tunnels going everywhere.”
“Damn,” swore Fallon. “We should have known.”
The other soldiers were shifting their feet in an agitated manner and the one in charge again stated: “Now. We have to go now.”
The Leaf Children nodded and the five of them moved off down the tunnel, slowly at first but soon at the run. Once more they threaded their way past the dim wall paintings and mounted trophies on both sides. Suddenly Fallon stopped and reaching up pulled two bows and quivers of arrows off the wall. Gabrysia saw what he was doing and eagerly accepted one set of weapons handed her by Fallon. The three Drongs initially thought of stopping them but then apparently decided not to protest and after a pause of barely a few seconds the party continued their flights towards the main base chamber.
About fifty meters from the end of the tunnel they halted and the head Drong soldier turned. “In the chamber there are a few soldiers but we can take care of them. Wait here and don’t move until I call you out.” He then motioned to his comrades and they walked briskly on. The Leaf Children stood where they were. They were pleased to be out of their cave prison with the promise, or possibility, of freedom ahead of them, but still they were on guard against another immediate possibility: that the Drong soldiers could be leading them into a trap.
It seemed unlikely for now. Both Gabrysia and Fallon believed, hoped, inwardly prayed there was no deceit and that the Drongs genuinely wanted to also flee from their own particularly captivity. Nevertheless they were going to take no chances. If the Drongs were prepared to betray their Leader there was perhaps reason to think they would betray them also. So for the moment Gabrysia and Fallon would allow themselves to be led away while at the same time keeping their sharp wits about them. Being led away was one thing. Led astray was quite another.
The minutes passed and still they held their position in silence. Finally from a distance came a call. “Alright. You can come out.”
Fallon took a step forward but Gabrysia held him back. “Wait,” she whispered. “Wait a bit longer.”
Aother minute lapsed. Then another. In the distance a shape appeared but they could not make out the features. The person was running and as he neared Gabrysia and Fallon saw it weas the head soldier. He came up to them and breathlessly asked: “What are you doing? For heaven’s sake, let’s go.”
Suddenly Fallon lunged forward and grabbed him around the next with his left arm. Simultaneously he used his right hand to force the Drong’s left arm up behind his back, effectively immobilising him.
“Not so fast,” he said. “Just to make sure we’ll go like this if you don’t mind. Don’t fight it or I’ll break your arm.”
The Drong protested but once he found there was nothing he could do he relaxed and said resignedly: “OK OK. Come on then. We don’t have much time.” With that he was frogmarched along the tunnel with Fallon behind and Gabrysia to one side.
At the end they stopped and looked into the chamber. It seemed much larger than the last time they had seen it. Gabrysia put this down to the fact there were people crammed into it before. Now she couldn’t see anyone. Then from an obscured passageway Jordon rushed out and called: “Gabrysia. Gabrysia. You’re here.” He was followed immediately by the two guards who, when they saw Fallon had their comrade in his grip stopped in the tracks and raised their sticks over their heads.
The soldier in front of Fallon held up his hand. “It’s alright. It’s alright. “Then to Fallon and Gabrysia he added: “You can see everything is safe. Let me go. We have to move. For God’s sake please. He could be back any minute.”
“Let him go,” said Gabrysia. Fallon released the Drong and stepped back.
Young Jordon was standing at Gabrysia’s side. “They tied up the others,” he said. “In the tunnel over there. Are we going to escape Gabrysia? Are we?”
“Yes Jordon, we are,” Gabrysia replied. “Are you alright. Did they treat you alright?”
“Sure,” the youngster said. “They just made certain I didn’t run off. Where are Jason and Nikko and the others? Are they with you? I can’t see them.”
Fallon explained they did not know exactly what the situation was. Only that they were somewhere else in the base and that Kerry and the Drongs were searching for them.
“And we’re going to help, right/”
“Well, at the moment we are supposed to be finding a way out of here.”
“Not before we lend a hand though. First we’re going to help the others aren’t we?”
The Drong soldier in charge stepped forward. “No. We have to get out of here before Kerry returns or we are sure to get caught and we’ll all be for it. Let’s go.”
Fallon waited until the soldier was about three meters away from him. Then he said: “We’re not leaving just yet. Jordon’s right. We must help our friends before anything else.”
“No,” the soldier screamed. “No. We have to go. If not you’ll have to go back to your cell. And that will mean trouble for you.”
“Not for us buster,” said Fallon. “You maybe. But no worse for us.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“We are already in a spt. But when I tell Kerry about you letting us go do you could escape too, what do you think he’ll do?” Fallon smiled.
“He wouldn’t believe you,” the soldier replied though he was clearly disturbed.
“He’d believe those others you left in the tunnel over there. They mustn’t be too happy with you and your buddies. I reckon you’ve got a problem.”
The three soldiers exchanged anxious looks and obviously realised they were trapped. There was no doubt they could not retrace their steps and cancel out their actions. On the other hand if they joined forces with the Leaf Children and were later caught, as they feared they would be, the consequences were too horrific to even contemplate. They had no choice. A third alternative was the only one open to them: hey would have to try to escape outside on their own.
They reached this conclusion it seemed all at the same time. As one they spun around and raced out of the chamber down two separate tunnels. Almost immediately the leader ran back out of the tunnel he had entered alone and with a frightened look at the leaf Children he dived into the passageway taken by the other two soldiers. He did not know it was the same one but the Leap Children considered that at the speed he was moving he would catch the others up quickly.
“Before we go,” said Gabrysia “there is something else we must do. Release Venki.”
“Of course,” said Fallon. “God. I had actually forgotten him.”
Ten minutes later they were back in the m ain chamber, Venki still with the chain fastened to his ankle with the other end tucked into his breeches. With the help of the others he had been able to tear it out of the wall. The fastening to the ankle would be bothersome but he was free and the feeling was enormously exhilarating.
“You’ve got no idea how good this feels,” he said. “To be out here and not cooped up in that jail. It might just as well be an oasis in the middle of a desert. I think I was starting to go crazy in there. Of course I couldn’t let King Kerry know that or he would have used it against me. As far as he knew I was enjoying it in a funny sort of way. I kept baiting him every time I saw him and it m